Overview

The Colony Flower Tree Coral is also referred to as the Scleronephthya Strawberry Coral, or Pink or Orange Cauliflower Coral. It closely resembles members of the Dendronephthya genus, and is somewhat easier to maintain. The stalks, branches, and tips of this coral tend to be various shades of the same color. This colony is a grouping of several small individual corals attached to a single rock. They are a very beautiful coral, but are relatively difficult to maintain due to their special dietary needs.

It is moderately difficult to maintain in the reef aquarium and should be housed in an established reef aquarium by the experienced marine aquarist. The Colony Flower Tree Coral will require low lighting levels combined with medium to strong indirect water movement. These corals will not usually fully open in direct water current, so water flow provided by a power head directed at the glass or nearby rock is ideal. For continued good health, the addition of strontium, iodine, and other trace elements to the water.

The Colony Flower Tree Coral does not contain symbiotic algae it can rely on for food. Therefore, its diet must include live or frozen baby brine shrimp, daphnia, zooplankton, and other small foods designed for filter feeding invertebrates, in order to survive in the reef aquarium.

It is normally shipped attached to a small piece of live rock or rubble.